Design Optimization of Safety Barrier Consisting of Steel Rail and CFRP Post

In this study a hybrid safety barrier system consisting of steel rail and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) post is considered. W hile CFRP post is selected for impact energy reflection due to its high strength, steel rail is selected for impact energy absorption due to its high ductility. A numerical model considering the elastoplastic behavior of steel is formulated to simulate the dynamic responses of the hybrid system subject to an impact load. A hybrid roadside guard rail system of steel rail and CFRP post is proposed and analyzed with a case study. The numerical model for the hybrid roadside guard rail system is used to find optimized design of the proposed hybrid system.